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Author: Dana Phelps

St. Patrick’s Day: The Time to Go Green

St. Patrick’s Day: The Time to Go Green

March 13, 2023April 14, 2023 Dana PhelpsSustainabilityeasy ways to go green, go green, go green for St. Patrick's Day, St. Patricks Day

Whether it is your personal recycling system at home or part of a corporate sustainability initiative at work, hopefully you are thinking about ways to conserve energy and protect natural resources year-round. If not, St. Patrick’s Day is a great time to set as an annual reminder to go green, and today we are sharing 10 easy ways to be more eco-friendly.

10 easy ways to go green:

  1. Recycle!
  2. Start a compost or find a local composting service.
  3. Take care of the items you own and opt to repair them instead of throwing them away.
  4. Replace your typical single-use habits with a non-disposable option, such as reusable shopping bags, vegetable bags, water bottles and wool dryer balls. 
  5. Refill your soap bottles at a local refillery.
  6. Walk, bike or carpool when possible.
  7. Turn off lights and unplug electronics when you are not using them.
  8. Don’t set your thermostat too high in the winter or too low in the summer.
  9. Be mindful of your water usage.
  10. Shop second hand.

Need more tips? Here are some helpful hints from our blog archives.

Go Green for St. Patrick’s Day: Easy ways to encourage green practices in business.

How To Recycle Magazines: This post from our early Clairemont days is still relevant! Instead of filling up your recycling bin, why not get creative and crafty?

Clairemont Client ESG Reports: For some serious corporate sustainability inspo, check out this post.

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ICYMI: Clairemont Communications Client ESG Reports

ICYMI: Clairemont Communications Client ESG Reports

February 15, 2023April 4, 2023 Dana PhelpsCase Studies, Sustainabilityesg communications, esg report, PR Agency, Sustainability, sustainability report

In case you missed it, Clairemont worked with two clients last year to help produce their annual ESG (environmental, social and governance) reports, also known as sustainability reports. We are proud to have been selected by Ingersoll Rand and American Tire Distributors (ATD) for this important work.

To read more about what these companies are doing, check out their 2021 reports below!

Ingersoll Rand’s 2021 ESG Report

ATD’s 2021 ESG Report

Learn more about our experience helping clients with ESG and sustainability reports in this blog post: Operating Sustainably, Successfully.

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Clairemont Celebrates 13 Years!

Clairemont Celebrates 13 Years!

January 13, 2023April 4, 2023 Dana PhelpsRaleigh PR Agency, The Clairemont TeamClairemont Communications, PR Agency, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency

In honor of our 13th anniversary as a Raleigh PR agency, we are sharing 13 blog posts that represent the everyday work of an award-winning PR agency, as well as some moments that make us laugh to remember or especially proud.

Vita Vite Nominated for the News & Observer’s 2022 Best of Raleigh

Ingersoll Rand Donates to Ukraine

What Does a PR Agency Do? A Royal Media Event

Clairemont Receives National and Statewide Recognition

What Does a PR Agency Do? Ingersoll Rand’s Equity Grant Celebration

What I Learned My First Year As a Business Owner

A Spicy Peek into the 11th Pepper Fest at Briar Chapel

What Does a PR Agency Do? Il Palio at the James Beard House

219 Award-Winning Inspirations

What Does a PR Agency Do? Hoedown Showdown at Wendell Falls

Clairemont Secures Byline Coverage for Club Car

Postcards: The Original Twitter

Happy 30th Anniversary Post-It

We are so excited to be celebrating 13 years and cannot wait to see what the future holds! Follow us on Instagram to keep up with our adventures as a Raleigh PR agency!

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User-Generated Content: Your 2022 Marketing Key

User-Generated Content: Your 2022 Marketing Key

March 29, 2022January 31, 2023 Dana PhelpsBlog, Marketing, Social Media + Influencer EngagementMarketing, marketing strategy, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency, Social Media, user generated content

User-generated content is the strongest marketing tool you’re not using.

Amidst a tumultuous social political and economic landscape, people are craving something they can trust. Research shows that transparency and authenticity are the leading social currencies for consumers. In fact, according to Stackla, 90 percent of consumers evaluate authenticity when deciding to purchase from a brand, and Label Insight points out that 94 percent of consumers are more likely to support a brand that offers transparency. Quippy taglines or eye-catching visuals alone will no longer forge a meaningful and lasting connection with your audience.

User-Generated Content: Transparent Talk

User-generated content (UGC) provides that unvarnished, unedited peek into the experiences and words of “people just like me”. UGC consists of pictures, videos and quotes directly from current customers. A well-curated library of UGC automatically showcases a variety of demographics offering brand advocacy that consumers know isn’t paid or polished. UGC can build your brand champion base as well as educate your audience about the daily uses of your product. And as a considerable benefit, User-generated content is easy to maintain and relatively inexpensive (or free) in comparison to paid advertising or influencer partnerships.

The proof is in the pudding on this one. Stackla shares that consumers are 2.4 times more likely to view UGC as authentic compared to content created by brands, and 79 percent of people say UGC highly impacts their purchasing decisions. Now is the time to focus on your UGC strategy, strengthen customer loyalty and broaden your market share.

Curating the Content

The online realm is ripe with avenues to effectively gather UGC from customers, brand champions and even employees themselves. When crafting a UGC campaign, gather content for a social media platform that highlights not only your product but also the product’s adjacent lifestyle. For example, a women’s fashion shoe brand won’t just show photography or videos of its latest stilettos; it might also showcase the pumps in a snazzy wine bar at a girl’s night out, on date night or in a posh salon—hinting at the social cache that comes with wearing these shoes. To start using user-generated content:

  • Launch a branded hashtag on social media: ask followers to share experiences marked by a hashtag. Instagram is the front-runner platform for a hashtag campaign, followed by Twitter and TikTok. Create a consistent ethos for your campaign with a corner overlay or border for UGC reposts.
  • Roll out an email campaign: directly ask fans for their pictures, videos and quotes.
  • Leverage a landing page or personalized app: craft a contest, challenging fans to submit their best take on your product for a chance to win swag, experiences and discounts.
  • Tap product reviews: encourage photos in reviews for a one-stop shop. (Fun tip: More than 70 percent of consumers say they look at product reviews prior to purchase.)
  • Host a daily photo challenge: make each 24-hour period an opportunity to submit fresh takes (like this one from GoPro).
  • Create a TikTok challenge: for richer content complete with ready-made music, sound effects and built-in video editing.
  • Gamify the goods: require users to complete a series of tasks (including submitting content!) to earn rewards.

Utilizing Your User-Generated Content

The beauty of UGC is its versatility and applicability throughout the customer relationship, and options abound for how to leverage your UGC library. Once collected, certain content formats perform better on various platforms. Facebook, for example, works best for longer-form video, which can also be featured in paid ads for greater and more targeted reach. For shorter-form content, use the Regram app to repost to Instagram. Share Reels and challenge followers to “react to this person’s video” or ask them to repost as a duet.

But don’t be afraid to branch beyond social media. UGC can be featured on employee uniforms, fan swag or product packaging. Connect with brick-and-mortar foot traffic by spotlighting images in your store (checkout lines, store backdrops and even floor decals).

While UGC yields impact at every stage of the buying cycle, stats show that it is distinctly effective at the final stage of the journey—the tipping point where consumers are weighing options. For example, include UGC photos on the landing page for a specific product that garners ad traffic. Feature quotes on an abandoned cart landing page or email. Build review testimonials into a nurture campaign for warm audiences.

Important note before posting any user content:

Be sure to ask your consumers’ permission before sharing their content. If launching a formal campaign, build in a consent form in the entry process, or reach out to individuals via direct messages. Ensure that you also confirm how they would like to be credited, especially if sharing content across multiple mediums.

Ready to beef up your UGC strategy? Email us for a consult!

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PR + Marketing in a Post-COVID World

PR + Marketing in a Post-COVID World

March 21, 2022January 31, 2023 Dana PhelpsBlog, Hiring a PR Firm, MarketingMarketing, marketing in 2022, marketing tips, post-covid marketing, post-pandemic marketing

Things have changed. Has your marketing strategy followed suit?

The COVID-19 pandemic has left indelible imprints on every sector of life. Social values, beliefs and behavior patterns have evolved as people reevaluated what they truly want and who they trust to partner with them.

As communication professionals, you can no longer rely on the stalwart strategies, formulas and personas that guided your pre-pandemic marketing strategy. Growth won’t spring from a dry well. Instead, it’s time to rediscover your customer base and the most effective means to meet their needs. Things have changed… and so has marketing in a post-COVID world.

Your Audience Demographic Has Changed

Start with the basics and rebuild your audiences’ demographics and psychographics. Granted, many of your trends might remain the same, but according to McKinsey, a surprisingly 36 percent of consumers are experimenting with new products or brands — including yours. One plastic surgery center, for example, noticed a dramatic increase in its male clientele from 10 to 25 percent during the pandemic, spurred by the rise of self-reflection on Zoom. Likewise, has your consumer base shifted to include a new audience segment since 2020? Ensure that you’re precision-targeting active, warm audiences that find value in your product or service.

Your Audience Location Has Changed

While buildings are still standing, brick-and-mortar shopping took a significant hit during COVID, a trend that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. According to Deloitte, online grocery shopping grew 40 percent year-over-year during the pandemic; Chipotle saw a 134-percent growth on digital orders, and Walmart saw a 79-percent online increase in the latter half of 2020 alone.

The familiar faces in your store have now transformed into IP addresses on your webpage, and with such a migration, companies need to perfect their audience’s online experience. In addition to investing in e-commerce, online chat support and strong SEO, work to increase high-quality touchpoints across multiple channels. Kasaa revealed that 70 percent of consumers use three or more channels when researching a purchase, and nearly 14 percent of consumers shop on social media, according to Deloitte. So if you’ve been waiting to dive into Instagram Reels or TikTok as a nurturing tactic or sales channel, now’s your time. 

Also, use this opportunity to snag a bigger piece of the content pie. Create, target and remarket DIY and how-to blogs, videos and podcasts to snag more of your audience’s virtual attention; since they’ll be online anyways, they might as well be reading your content, valuing your expertise and falling in love with your brand!

Your Audience’s Motivation Has Changed

At first, virtual shopping increased out of necessity and safety, and 75 percent of U.S. consumers changed their purchasing behaviors. Now, nearly two years later, people have grown accustomed to the ease and speed of online shopping, making accessibility the leading motivation for buying, according to McKinsey. The bronze and silver medals for purchase drivers were safety and value; people put a premium on health and hygiene along stretching each dollar further amidst an unpredictable economic climate.

Audit your connection points. Are you readily offering the products or experience you promise? If products are backlogged, slow or unavailable, audiences will look elsewhere. Under-gird your messages with transparency, showing your company’s commitment to safety, health and social responsibility. Ensure you are offering strong value and highlighting the quality that the consumer gains from your brand. 

Now what?

Dig into your data. Pore over the items you already have in place (Google Analytics or purchasing records, for example) and launch data collection methods to garner new insights:

  • Interview customers in-person or over the phone with open-ended questions.
  • Provide concise surveys via email to recent buyers or conduct web exit surveys when a consumer leaves. (Use quick, single pop-up questions on this one.)
  • Carve out a strategy for meticulous social listening; through basic grounded theory research, you can mine a wealth of information from your social media comments and online reviews.
  • Interview your front-line personnel regarding their customer interactions.
  • Track the customer’s digital journey using Google Analytics.

And…

Partner with an expert.

We’re here, and we’re adept at helping you craft a PR, marketing communications and social media strategy to reach these ready-and-waiting audiences. Ready to tackle the next steps in your growth?

Drop us a line!

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clairemontcommunications

Have you heard about Meta’s newest social media Have you heard about Meta’s newest social media platform? It’s called Threads, and it’s being referred to as “the new Twitter.” Read everything you need to know about Threads in our latest blog post - link in bio!
SNEAK PEEK! @dellthepig landed at @wendellfallsnc SNEAK PEEK! @dellthepig landed at @wendellfallsnc (client) today, and rumor has it that @blah2voila has already been hamming it up with Dell! We know you want a selfie with Dell to post on Pigstagram, too!
We are proud to represent Raleigh as a member of P We are proud to represent Raleigh as a member of Public Relations Consultants Group, allowing us to offer clients expertise and support across the country! Clairemont founder, Dana Phelps aka @blah2voila, recently attended the PRCG conference in Oklahoma City.
2022 has been a fantastic year for Clairemont Comm 2022 has been a fantastic year for Clairemont Communications! Visit our blog for the full 2022 year in review!
As communications professionals, we wear a variety As communications professionals, we wear a variety of hats to meet our clients’ needs.
 
We’re writers, social media managers, photographers, marketers, editors, content creators- the list goes on and on.
 
Check out our recent blog post to learn what @olivia.noles , account coordinator here at Clairemont, does on a weekly and monthly basis.
#communicationsagency #communicationsmajor #pragencylife #pragency #raleighpr
This Friday, Clairemont’s Dana Phelps, @blah2voi This Friday, Clairemont’s Dana Phelps, @blah2voila , will be speaking at the 2022 @nc_prsa Strategic Communication & MarCom Conference! Phelps is a repeat presenter at this annual conference, and this year she is leading a session called Growing from Communication Technician to Strategic Counselor during which she will share three of her coined concepts: knowcasting, morecasting and collabolighthing. Visit our blog for the link to register for the conference!
@clairemontcommunications and @yellowdogcreative g @clairemontcommunications and @yellowdogcreative go together like the bacon and eggs! And speaking of bacon and eggs, have you been to @therainbowluncheonette yet? YUM!
Later this year, Clairemont client @wendellfallsnc Later this year, Clairemont client @wendellfallsnc, a master-planned community just 15 miles from downtown Raleigh, will welcome @parksideraleigh, a Raleigh-favorite restaurant known for its fresh, made-from-scratch dishes, to the community!
 
Visit our blog to see the @trianglebizjrnl coverage and read the full feature in the TBJ to learn more about Parkside.
“What exactly does a PR Agency do?” Because we “What exactly does a PR Agency do?” Because we get this question often, we have a series on our blog where we dive into our recent projects to give you a look at what a PR Agency really does.
 
For example, a statewide resource for small businesses recently hired Clairemont to devise an executive visibility campaign to help position the organization and its director as the leading small business resource in North Carolina.
 
Head to our blog to read what exactly an executive visibility campaign entails and to learn more about our services!
So you say it’s National Coffee Day? We say let So you say it’s National Coffee Day? We say let us tell you about our new favorite @drink321coffee ! If you are in Raleigh, go see Paul, the other Paul, Emma  or whichever smiling faces are working today. We LOVE this place and the coffee! ❤️❤️❤️
Our client @wendellfallsnc, one of the largest mas Our client @wendellfallsnc, one of the largest master-planned communities in the Triangle, closed on its first age-eligible rental community plan, Arden at Wendell Falls, that will offer 140 open-concept units and exclusive onsite amenities!
 
Visit our blog to see the @trianglebizjrnl coverage and read the full feature in the TBJ to learn more about Arden at Wendell Falls.
Staying in Raleigh this Labor Day weekend? Stop by Staying in Raleigh this Labor Day weekend? Stop by client @vitaviteraleigh for good snacks and great wine!🍷 Both locations are open normal hours Friday-Sunday and closed on Monday.
You never know who might be hanging out at The Cla You never know who might be hanging out at The Clairemont House. Thanks to @yellowdogcreative for helping save this buddy. Notice that we speak lizard. Or skink. Or gecko or whatever he is. Or maybe it’s the extra caffeine before our client presentation.
Yep, our town is pretty cool. #raleigh Yep, our town is pretty cool. #raleigh
Who wants to have a Friday afternoon porch meeting Who wants to have a Friday afternoon porch meeting?
Congrats to our new neighbor on Bloodworth Street Congrats to our new neighbor on Bloodworth Street South @raleighwineshop ! @blah2voila was there today representing Clairemont at the grand opening festivities and enjoying the @grandchamphospitality sandwich pop up. Yum! 🍷🥪
It’s National Volunteer Month, and volunteers ar It’s National Volunteer Month, and volunteers are needed more than ever! Many organizations with scarce resources rely on volunteers and would not exist without them. Visit our recent blog post to read about the organizations Clairemont has supported and how you can make a difference in your community!
Authenticity is trending, and research shows that Authenticity is trending, and research shows that consumers are 2.4 times more likely to view user-generated content as authentic. Read our recent blog post to learn about UGC, how it can benefit your brand and how to use it in your marketing strategy.
From social values to behavior patterns, COVID-19 From social values to behavior patterns, COVID-19 has left an impact on every sector of life, including marketing. Read our blog on marketing in a post-COVID world to learn how things have changed and how that should impact your business strategy.
We are so excited to share that Clairemont earned We are so excited to share that Clairemont earned eight awards, five gold🥇and three silver🥈, at this year's Sir Walter Raleigh Awards hosted by the Raleigh Public Relations Society!🎉 We are beyond grateful to work with so many amazing partners, clients and industry friends!
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